We are past the halfway point in the 2023 NFL season and the LA Chargers, despite all of the ups and downs so far, are still in the hunt. A 4-5 record is not the most promising to snag a playoff spot but the Chargers, so far, are winning the war of attrition against other AFC contenders.
The second half of the 2023 season has two main storylines. Most importantly, the second half will decide if the team can make the playoffs and if Brandon Staley can subsequently keep his job. In addition to that, the second half of the season may also determine the futures of certain Chargers players.
As it stands right now, there are several impending free agents who need to pick up their play if they want any chance of being with the Bolts in 2024 and beyond.
Michael Davis is playing his way off the Chargers
Michael Davis has probably been the worst member of the secondary this season and that is saying something as this secondary has been awful. It is not 100% Davis' fault as he is someone who thrives in press coverage and more often than not he is playing with more cushion than a brand-new Tempur-Pedic.
Regardless, it has not been pretty for Davis and it is time to admit that his tenure with the Chargers is likely coming to a close. Not only is he arguably having the worst season of his career, but he is entering a point in his career as a corner where it starts to get ugly.
Cornerbacks age very quickly in the NFL and Davis will be 29 in January. While that is by no means "old" in the grand scheme of things, cornerbacks often tend to regress once they hit that daunting age of 30.
With that concern in mind, and the fact that he has played poorly this season, it is highly unlikely that Davis returns in 2024 unless he turns in a truly special second half of the season.
Austin Ekeler is playing his way off the Chargers
Austin Ekeler is a touchdown machine that has benefitted from the Chargers' offense getting the ball near the goal line for three years. That is certainly a skill set that is extremely valuable in the NFL as Ekeler's strength and low body of gravity often make him a dynamic option inside the five.
In addition to that, Ekeler is still one of the better pass-catching backs in the entire league. Drops have hurt him a tad this season but he can still ignite the Chargers offense when it needs it most as a pass-catching threat.
Those things have value but the problem with Ekeler is that he is not a good in-between-the-tackles runner and has not been for the last two years. The Chargers have had one of the worst rushing offenses in the sport over the last two years and while it doesn't all fall on Ekeler, a large chunk does.
The Chargers already showed their hand in not wanting to extend Ekeler in the offseason and it looks like that might have been the right move. While Ekeler undoubtedly still has offensive value, it is really hard to give a new deal to someone who is regressing as a runner and is also approaching the age of 30.
It will be interesting to see what kind of market Ekeler demands in free agency and if he ultimately gets the kind of deal that he wants. Ekeler may have to settle for a Jamaal Williams-type contract, which was for $12 million over three years. And even at that price, it might be too much for the Chargers.
Austin Johnson is playing his way off the Chargers
Austin Johnson is not necessarily having an awful season for the Chargers and it would be unfair to suggest that. However, Johnson certainly isn't having some kind of memorable season. It can be described as serviceable at best, which unfortunately for him, probably is not enough to keep him around after the 2023 season.
Johnson was signed by the Chargers prior to the 2022 season to help bolster the run defense. Los Angeles had a historically bad run defense in Staley's first season as head coach and Johnson was quietly one of the better run defenders in the league.
Johnson certainly helped the cause in 2022 although his season was cut short by injury. He returned in 2023 and the Chargers run defense hasn't been better under Staley. However, the Bolts now have other options to replace Johnson in 2024 and beyond.
Otito Ogbonnia recently returned from injury and he has looked sharp in the chances he has received. Once Ogbonnia gets ramped up and starts getting more defensive snaps he could prove to be the anchor up front that the Chargers drafted him to be.
Rookie Scott Matlock has potential as well. While he is now buried on the depth chart, he showed promising traits in the snaps he received early on in the season.
With Morgan Fox as the team's best interior pass rusher and Sebastian Joseph-Day having one more year under contract, it is highly unlikely that the Chargers will have any kind of need to bring Johnson back unless he does something incredible to close out the 2023 season.